Nicky Hayden and Alvaro Bautista completed the top five with Valentino Rossi finishing sixth on his first outing at Silverstone, after starting on the back row of the grid.

There were no British riders on display for a large home crowd to cheer after Cal Crutchlow crashed in qualifying on Saturday and broke his collarbone, but the crowd were treated to a Stoner master class as he won his fourth race of the season on his 150th Grand Prix start.

Having started seven points adrift of Lorenzo in the championship standings, he now leads the Spaniard by 18 points and team-mate Dovizioso by 33.

Lorenzo had the best start to lead into turn one but the Hondas of Dovizioso and Stoner were soon past at Copse corner. Stoner then dived up the inside of his team-mate to take the lead on lap two.

Simoncelli then had a huge moment going into Abbey and was completely out of the seat before wrestling his Honda back onto the circuit just behind Lorenzo in fourth.

Stoner was beginning to open up an ominous lead but was still lapping over 20 seconds slower than his pole position lap from Saturday as the heavens open on the track.

“At the beginning we didn’t get a great start. But the bike felt good, and I waited for the tyres to get up to temperature,” Stoner told BBC Sport.

“In the first lap I had water in my visor, so for the first five or six laps I couldn’t really see properly. I couldn’t see any puddles. But finally the water went away and I was able to do the lap times I wanted, and open up a gap.”

The battle for second was close between Dovizioso, Lorenzo and Simoncelli before the world champion crashed out on lap eight. The Spaniard had a similar accident to Crutchlow as he high-sided his Yamaha coming out of the fast Abbey corner but was lucky to walk away unscathed.

His team-mate Spies also crashed out on the same lap.Simoncelli had moved into second place but then also fell victim to the foul weather as he crashed out after hitting heavy standing wate

“I took a big risk at the same point in the first lap and, after that, I braked softer,” said Simoncell after the race. “But I lost the front, and was completely straight with the aquaplane. I’m so disappointed because every time we are so close to a good result, something happens.”

The retirements elevated Edwards into third place just nine days after he had 13 screws inserted into a broken collarbone. His recovery will be music to team-mate Crutchlow’s ears as the Brit hopes to return at Assen in a fortnight.

“I’ve been doing it all on Ibuprofen [pain relief drug] today,” said Edwards. “We didn’t even know if I’d be racing. We changed the set-up completely this morning. Thanks to the team and to Bridgestone. I don’t know [how we did it]. It was a good day.”

Stoner was able to ease off and take the victory, more than 15 seconds ahead of Dovizioso, which puts him top of the standings with a third of the season gone.

“We had a great race,” added the Australian, who became the first Honda rider to win three MotoGPs in a row since Rossi in 2003. “We are very happy. Conditions were so tough. Anything could have happened.

“I saw Jorge’s crash on the big screen as I went round and I am really pleased to be in the lead now. To win three in a row is perfect and we feel the bike is working well in all conditions. I could have had an even bigger lead by now but to be back at the top is fantastic.”

Dovizioso, whose second place consolidated his third position in the standings, said: “With the wet patches it was difficult to find the line. I’m so happy because the level is so high this season. In practice, we have struggled. But in the important moments we can deliver.”

Silverstone MotoGP result:

1. C Stoner (Aus) Repsol Honda 47 mins, 53.459 secs

2. A Dovizioso (It) Repsol Honda at 15.159 secs

3. C Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha at 21.480

4. N Hayden (USA) Ducati at 26.984

5. A Bautista (Sp) Suzuki at 35.569

6. V Rossi (It) Ducati at 1’04.526

7. K Abraham (Cze) Ducati at 1’32.650

8 T Elias (Sp) LCR Honda at 1’51.938

9. H Aoyama (Jpn) Gresini Honda at 1’52.350

10. L Capirossi (It) Pramac Ducati at 2’03.312

11. H Barbera (Sp) Aspar Ducati one lap

12. R De Puniet (Fr) Pramac Ducati one lap

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